A Length of Dark Indigo Katazome: Two Stenciled Sides

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
59 1/4" x 13 1/4", 150.5 cm x 33.5 cm

This is a length of katazome dyed cotton that is dyed a deep, blue-black indigo tone: although there is a cast of blue to the color it reads as black.

The pattern is that of stylized chrysanthemums that are set against a background of karakusa or trailing vine. The design is fairly crowded and the effect high contrast.

One of the reasons for this is that the cloth was stencil resisted on both its sides and this is evident in the lead photo here where both front and back are shown.

You can notice some rough areas to the dyeing of the cloth and some of these areas are shown on the detail photos which accompany this cloth. The length is in good, used condition with just some faint light fading and surface abrasion.

The length is generous in size and the design is strong.